We Are Penn State

I feel like I should start this off by admitting that coming to Penn State in the fall was not my first choice in schools. I had wanted to go to the University of Delaware, but the extra cost was a deterrent as well as an inhibition for me and my family. That being said, after the events concerning Sandusky, Paterno, the victims, and this university as a whole occurred, my feelings toward the idea of myself being a student here greatly changed. I found myself downtown during the riot. I sat in class with hundreds of others and discussed what had happened with my professors. I watched with disdain and awe as television programs like South Park and The Daily Show insulted the name of a great institution. With all of this, it did not only feel as if we were talking about the university alone. It seemed to me, and I'm sure to many others as well, that all of this speculation, these insults, and these discussions were about the students as individuals. All 40,000 of us have our own opinions, our own views, our own pride regarding the fact that we go to school here. The point that I am trying to make is that because of these unfortunate events and the way in which I reacted to them, this marked the first time that I really experienced the pride of being a Penn Stater. I now feel as if attending this institution is a part of me and I will always keep close to my heart. I'm certain many of my other fellow students and alumni can agree that they have the same notion.

It was interesting to read and watch the articles and videos posted in the main Blog. Between re-watching Jon Stewart and the candlelight vigil, and seeing the words that were given to describe the emotion students and faculty feel at this time found in the article by Lori Shontz, I had somewhat mixed reactions. The disgust I experienced a few weeks ago flooded back, but the pride I mentioned a few moments ago remained. Overall, I especially enjoyed Dave Housley's article the most, as I found it the most relevant to my own thoughts and ideas. There was a quote that I found in his writing which really grabbed me and made me think. It reads like this, "This is how it goes around here. These kids puke in our streets and urinate in the bushes. They are terrible pedestrians and can be worse neighbors. Then they go and do something like raise 10 million dollars (last year alone) to support pediatric cancer patients." The reason as to why this most stuck out to me is because I believe this is how many of the people that live in State College feel about the students living both on and off of campus. It is a testament to my hope that for every evil action or occurrence, there will be with it people who choose to believe in the good of this world. So while Sandusky may puke in the streets and urinate in the bushes, I have hope that both the people in State College and the students of Penn State will band together in a time of trial and turn his evil into a candlelight vigil filled with goodness. And for that reason, We Are!...

The Theatre!

Kiss Me Kate adds to one of the many theatre performances that I have attended both at local theaters and on Broadway. I have seen other shows such as Oliver, Brigadoon, The Sound of Music, Les Miserables, and Around the World in 80 Days to list a few. Compared to the other shows I have seen, this one measures up pretty well considering that it was a collegiate level performance. The vocalists I thought had very mature voices and were able to blend very well with one another. In addition to this, the dancing and choreography was outstanding. The whole cast did a really nice job executing all of the difficult moves that were put into the production. All together, the show was more than what I thought it would be. I was more entertained than I had expected mainly due to how well the actors and actresses played their roles. The two gangsters and their song regarding the quoting of Shakespeare make me laugh all of the way through their corny dance. The male lead surprised me as well. It is not often that I hear such a strong voice even in a professional performance. In my opinion, the casting, stage elements, and overall talent that everyone possessed added to the fact that the show was very well done.

The musical theatre genre is one that holds a special place in my heart because of the many

performances that I have taken a part in. In addition, theatre and classical music as a whole is

something that I have been involved with since I was in elementary school. I love and

appreciate all musical productions, but if I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say that

The Phantom of the Opera would most likely come first. Andrew Lloyd Webber is nothing

short of a complete and total genius. The way that the music makes me feel, both

instrumentally and vocally, is something that I believe everyone needs to feel at some point in

their lives. When the final note is uttered by the Phantom, when the strings come in strong

and then fade to nothing; the beauty of the music makes my heart ache. So while this certain

performance of Kiss Me Kate was a great one, I will say that it is simply impossible to beat

the talents of those like Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Emmy Rossem,

or Patrick Wilson.

I have never read "The Taming of the Shrew" even though I have read many other of

Shakespeare's plays. Having said this, the production that I saw on Saturday gave me great

appreciation for the plot regardless of my lack of prior knowledge. It seems as though the

characters and the crew of this musical as well as the writers did a very nice job incorporating

the plot of the "Taming of the Shrew" in with this production. My favorite part of this

experience was simply being able to see a musical theater performance as I have not been able

to attend one in quite some time. I often wish that I could have the musical talent of all those I

saw on stage, however I reckon that I have enough to make me happy and express myself in all

of the ways that I enjoy.